I ignored my itchy legs and common sleep complaint. Then doctors found something horrifying on a scan. I'd left it far too late
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Sweating in his sleep, itchy ankles, a persistent cough and losing weight by the day - when Mike Yewdell was hit by these persistent symptoms in 2017, he was baffled.
For about four months, Yewdell, then 27, thought he was suffering from a harmless dry cough. It caused his chest to make a cracking sound when he stretched and left him in pools of sweat in the middle of the night.
By July 2017, he started experiencing extreme breathlessness and was unable to finish a sentence without wheezing.
In desperate need of answers, he decided to search his symptoms online.
'The cough that did not go away made me go on the internet, where they told me I was either dying of cancer or had some form of pneumonia,' the Nashville-based entrepreneur told the Daily Mail.
'It prompted me to go get an X-ray, where [doctors] called me and told me that I had fluid in my lungs and they were worried about my chest region.'
Initially, Yewdell believed he was suffering from walking pneumonia, a mild lung infection, and continued to pour energy into working on his supplement company, Campus Protein.
Walking pneumonia is a milder form of pneumonia, which causes the airways to swell and air sacs in the lungs to fill with mucus and other fluids.
Mike Yewdell (pictured) was 27 years old when he was diagnosed with stage 2 bulky Hodgkin lymphoma
However, Yewdell's symptoms worsened still, and a week later he went to his local emergency room for more scans.
A CT scan revealed three tumors, with the two largest in his chest measuring the size of a grapefruit and a tennis ball. The third tumor wrapped around his esophagus, which had caused swallowing issues.
Based on his tumors, doctors diagnosed Yewdell with stage 2 bulky disease Hodgkin lymphoma.
Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that develops in the lymphatic system.
Tumors typically begin to form in the lymph nodes located in the neck and chest cavity.
As the cancer worsens, they may also develop in groups under the arms or in the groin, abdomen or pelvis.
A characterization of 'bulky' refers to tumors in the chest that are at least one-third as wide as the chest, or just under four inches across.
Typical symptoms include fever, extreme night sweats, persistent fatigue, unexplained weight loss, enlarged lymph nodes, chest pain and shortness of breath.
About 10 to 25 percent of Hodgkin lymphoma patients experience intense itching, often on the lower legs.
Pictured: Yewdell at the time of his X-ray scans, which found the three tumors
Yewdell began receiving a combination of chemotherapy drugs, radiation and stem cell transplants. He also took part in an immunotherapy clinical trial
The American Cancer Society estimates that nearly 9,000 people will be diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma this year, out of which about 1,200 will die.
'This was a very strange experience where I knew my entire life was about to change. I remember walking to the bathroom to call a kid I mentored,' Yewdell said.
'I remember he had a story and I always thought he was an amazing person. I called to ask him his story and he told me that he tried to commit suicide and when they went to revive him, they found a tumor in his throat… it was Hodgkin lymphoma.
'He ended up becoming vital in my fight and outlook for the rest of my life.'
Soon after his life-changing diagnosis, Yewdell began receiving a combination of chemotherapy drugs called ICE, which included ifosfamide, carboplatin and etoposide, as well as radiation and stem cell transplants.
He also became a part of an immunotherapy clinical trial.
'[For months], I lived at home with my mom, where I could not interact with anyone and had to recover, which entailed me getting my energy back, my immune system stronger, and my strength to do normal activities,' he said.
'Then, I entered the workforce which consisted of me going into the office with a face mask and little interaction with anyone.'
Yewdell gradually got his strength back and was officially declared cancer free in 2019
Yewdell, who got married in May, said, 'I truly love my new outlook on life'
By May 2018, Yewdell's energy was 'back to normal', and he started making a significant recovery.
He was officially declared cancer free on October 23, 2019, and is currently on no medication.
Yewdell has since launched his own company and helped raise over $500,000 for cancer research. He got married to 'the love of my life' this past May.
'I truly love my new outlook on life. I am much more present and focus on being as positive as possible with every interaction and relationship I have,' he said.
'I consume my greens every single day. I make sure I am always moving and doing the things I love.
'Everyday I wake up, I’m up with all my energy because it’s another day I’m alive and get to live life, which isn’t a luxury everyone has.'
Daily Mail
